Like so many issues, the American public is far ahead of the vast majority of the political and media elite (despite Obama’s recent, tentative overtures towards Cuba):
A majority of Americans feel that it is time to try a new approach to Cuba, according to a national poll by WorldPublicOpinion.org. More specifically, the public favors lifting the ban on travel to Cuba for Americans and re-establishing diplomatic relations as well as other changes. By a wide margin the American public believes that increasing trade and travel will lead Cuba to become more open and democratic rather than having the effect of strengthening the Communist regime…
A majority (59%) of the American public endorses the view that it is “time to try a new approach to Cuba, because Cuba may be ready for a change”. Thirty-nine percent of Americans endorsed the opposing position on this issue, that “the Communist Party is still in control; therefore the US should continue to isolate Cuba.”